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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 SARAJEVO 000500 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOJ FOR OPDAT ALEXANDRE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER KCRM KJUS KCOR KAWC PHUM PINR BK
SUBJECT: BIH STATE COURT UPDATES PART TWO: TERRORISM, 
ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION CASES 
 
REF: A. SARAJEVO 47 
     ¶B. 06 SARAJEVO 3069 
     ¶C. 06 SARAJEVO 2725 
 
¶1. INTRODUCTION: This is the second of two cables summarizing 
cases currently before the BiH State Court.  This cable 
summarizes organized crime, corruption and terrorism cases 
underway in the BiH State Court.  Cases underway in the War 
Crimes Chamber were reported previously (REF. B).  These 
cables are intended to offer an overview of the Court and 
State Prosecutor's work in order to provide context for 
subsequent reporting on operational developments at the State 
Court, including the phased transition from mixed 
international/national to wholly national control and 
staffing, and the impact of justice sector reforms.  The U.S. 
currently provides roughly 40 percent of all international 
donor contributions to the BiH State Court, the BiH State 
Prosecutor's Office, and the Registry (court administration). 
 END INTRODUCTION. 
 
¶2. Legal and Structural Overview of the Special Department 
for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and the Corruption 
(hereinafter "the Special Department") and the Section for 
General Crime, International Cooperation and Terrorism 
(hereinafter "General Crimes Section"). 
 
a. The Special Department prosecutes crimes that are broadly 
defined as connected to personal economic gain.  The General 
Crimes Section handles primarily administrative violations of 
State law, but has one terrorism case and one treason case 
underway.  Both sections and the War Crimes Chamber were 
created in 2003, and began trying cases in 2005.  In 2006, 
the Special Department opened 117 investigations, involving 
222 individuals, and filed new 91 indictments against 173 
individuals.  At year's end there were 75 cases in some phase 
of adjudication before the court. 
 
b. Cases are heard in the first instance by a three-judge 
panel, which may be composed wholly of Bosnian judges or of 
Bosnian and international judges.  Verdicts are reached by 
consensus.  In accordance with the Bosnian Criminal Procedure 
Code (CPC), verdicts must be rendered orally within three 
days after the prosecutor and defense deliver final 
arguments, followed by a written decision within 30 days. 
The court pronounces sentence at the time the verdict is 
rendered.  An appeal must be filed within 15 days after the 
written decision is issued.  Under the hybrid Common 
Law/Civil Law system in Bosnia, the prosecutor may appeal an 
acquittal or a low sentence.  Appeals are heard by a 
different three-judge panel at State Court.  The appeals 
panel can void the initial verdict and conduct a partial 
retrial, after which the panel can consider sentencing de 
novo.   Decisions of the appeals panel, including fines and 
sentences, are final. 
 
c. The 2003 State Criminal Code provides for crimes such as 
organized crime and human trafficking.  However, under the 
CPC the State Court must apply the criminal codes in effect 
in the Federation and the Republika Srpska (RS) at the time 
the crimes were committed.  Because some of the more 
sophisticated economic crimes were not recognized in these 
entity codes prior to 2003, the BiH State Prosecutor is often 
obliged to bring lesser charges, which carry lower penalties. 
 Terrorism has been a state crime since 1951.  Crimes against 
the State are considered violations of the Dayton 
Constitution. 
 
¶3. Summary of Cases in the State Court General Crime Section 
 
a. BEKTASEVIC, Mirsad et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
BEKTASEVIC, Mirsad (aka Maximus; DPOB: 30 July 1987, Butmir, 
Ilidza, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
CESUR, Abdulkadir (aka Turkee; DPOB: 27 November 1985, 
Frederiksburgu, Denmark) 
IKANOVIC, Bajro (DPOB: 8 November 1976, Hrnjicici, Bratunac, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  002 OF 009 
 
 
BAJRIC, Amir (aka Cami; DPOB: 26 February, 1978, Sarajevo, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
HASANOVIC, Senad (aka Senci; DPOB: 2 May 1986, Sarajevo, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Terrorism (Bektasevic, Cesur, Ikanovic) 
-- Obstruction of Justice (Bektasevic, Cesur) 
-- Illegal Possession of Weapons or Explosive Substances 
(Bajric, Hasanovic) 
 
According to the indictment, when defendants Bektasevic and 
Cesur were arrested they had in their possession weapons, 
explosives, a crudely fashioned suicide belt, and a video 
depicting masked men supposedly preparing to attack 
unspecified European targets.  The accused supposedly planned 
to use these items against nations with troops in Iraq or 
Afghanistan.  Bajric and Hasanovic were arrested for 
allegedly selling the explosives.  Ikanovic was accused of 
being the go-between who procured the explosives from Bajric 
and Hasanovic on behalf of Bektasevic and Cesur.  The 
defendants were arrested in October-November 2005. 
 
Before the trial began, Bajric negotiated a plea agreement 
with the prosecutor to receive a two-year sentence in 
exchange for testifying against the others.  On January 10, 
2007, the BiH State Court found the defendants guilty on all 
charges, and sentenced them to prison terms: Bektasevic - 15 
years; Cesur - 13 years; Ikanovic - 8 years; and Hasanovic 
2.5 years.  Although Bajric and Hasanovic were convicted of 
the same crime, the Court decided that Hasanovic's 
non-cooperation merited a (slightly) higher sentence. (REF. 
A.)  The case is now on appeal. 
 
b. JELAVIC, Ante et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
PRCE, Miroslav (DPOB: 29 May 1953, Crnici, Stolac, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
JELAVIC, Ante (DPOB: 21 August 1963, Potprolog, Vrgorac, 
Croatia) 
CURCIC, Dragan (DPOB: 1 September 1965, Pervan, Zenica, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
 
Charges: Undermining the Military and Defensive Power of the 
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Abuse of Office or 
Official Authority (NOTE: The charge of Endangering the 
Territorial Integrity of BiH did not exist at the time in 
question. END NOTE.) 
 
This case is informally referred to as the "Third Entity" or 
the "Croat Self-Rule" case.  The indictment alleges that on 
28 October 2000, the Croat National Assembly (HNS) was 
established as the "permanent and highest political 
institution of the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina." 
Jelavic, a member of the BiH Tri-Presidency at the time, was 
elected HNS Chairman.  In March 2001, the HNS passed the 
"Decision Establishing the Inter-Cantional/Inter-Municipal 
Council as a Form of Croat Self-Rule in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina."  This decision posited that the BiH and FBiH 
authorities would not be acknowledged on the territory under 
Croat self-rule, because the BiH and FBiH authorities were 
"contrary to the will of the Croat people." 
 
Prce, then FBiH Defense Minister, and Curcic, then FBiH Army 
Deputy Commander, allegedly attempted to place ethnic Croat 
defense forces outside the jurisdiction of the FBiH Ministry 
of Defense.  In October 2005, the Court sentenced Jelavic to 
ten years in prison, but he fled to Croatia and remains a 
fugitive.  The Court sentenced Prce to six years imprisonment 
for abusing his office and undermining the FBiH military. 
Curcic was acquitted on all counts.  In July 2006, the 
appeals panel overturned Prce's conviction for abuse of 
office, but upheld the remainder of the first instance 
verdict and reaffirmed the six year sentence. 
 
¶4. Summary of Cases in the State Court Special Department for 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  003 OF 009 
 
 
Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption 
 
a. ANTONIC, Milos (DPOB: 14 August 1960, Trbusnica, Loznica, 
Serbia and Montenegro) 
 
Charges: Abuse of Office or Official Authority; Forging 
Official Documents; Money Laundering; Tax Evasion 
 
Antonic was accused of committing specific acts of forgery, 
tax evasion and money laundering while he was owner and 
director of the "Antony Company" from February to September, 
¶1995.  These acts allegedly included preparing blank 
purchasing orders for collaborators smuggling goods, and 
completed purchase orders that grossly understated the value 
of goods bought or overstated the value of good sold, as part 
of the money laundering scheme.  He was accused of performing 
these acts for personal gain as well as in furtherance of an 
ongoing, multi-party criminal enterprise.  Antonic has been 
in custody since September 2005.  In March 2006, the Court 
sentenced him to five years in prison.  The appellate panel 
upheld the sentence in May 2006.  Antonic has exhausted his 
appeals and the verdict is final. 
 
b. BULATOVIC, Zoran 
 
Charge: Money Laundering 
 
The indictment alleges that in April 2005 Bulatovic 
registered the Ferocom d.o.o. Laktasi Company.  Bulatovic is 
accused of making available to other companies certified 
blank order forms, tax exemption statements, invoices, bills 
of ladling and other Laktasi Company documents.  Bulatovic 
allegedly took money in cash, deposited it in the Laktasi 
Company account, and then transferred it to the other 
companies in phantom business transactions.  The indictment 
was confirmed in November 2006 and the case is in pretrial. 
 
c. COVIC, Dragan et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
COVIC, Dragan (DPOB: 20 August 1956, Mostar, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
TADIC, Mato (DPOB: 15 August 1952, Brcko District, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
IKANOVIC-LIJANOVIC, Jozo (DPOB: 29 November 1962, Siroki 
Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
IKANOVIC-LIJANOVIC, Mladen (DPOB: 22 August 1960, Siroki 
Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
IKANOVIC-LIJANOVIC, Jerko (DPOB: 15 November 1969, Siroki 
Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
IKANOVIC-LIJANOVIC, Slavo (DPOB: 30 November 1957, Siroki 
Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
LUCIC, Zdravko (DPOB: 14 February 1957, Zivinic, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Criminal Conspiracy; Organized Crime; Associating for 
Criminal Purposes (Ivankovic-Lijanovic brothers, Lucic, Covic) 
-- Abuse of Office or Official Authority; Dereliction of 
Duty; Accomplice to Bribery (Covic) 
-- Bribery (Ivankovic-Lijanovic brothers, Lucic) 
-- Forgery; Abuse of Position of Economic Power; Tax Evasion 
(Ivankovic-Lijanovic brothers) 
-- Abuse of Office or Official Authority; Accepting Bribes 
(Tadic) 
-- Obstruction of Justice (Jozo Ivankovic-Lijanovic) 
 
Dragan Covic, formerly a member of the BiH Tri-Presidency and 
currently leader of the Croatian Democratic Union for BiH 
(HDZ-BiH), was Federation Finance Minister from December 1998 
to March 2001.  He was accused of accepting bribes during 
that time from the Ivankovic-Lijanovic brothers in exchange 
for directing the FBiH Customs Administration to exempt the 
Ivankovic-Lijanovic companies from import taxes and levies on 
chicken products.  He also allegedly obstructed Federation 
and BiH State officials' efforts to collect taxes from the 
co-defendants' poultry companies.  Tadic, former President 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  004 OF 009 
 
 
and current member of the BiH Constitutional Court, was 
accused of accepting a bribe, conveyed via co-defendant 
Lucic, to rule in favor of the brothers in the 2004 tax 
evasion civil suit. 
 
Defendants were not held in custody during the trial.  On 17 
November 2006, the Court found Covic guilty of Abuse of 
Office and sentenced him to five years.  The other charges 
against him were dismissed.  The co-defendants were acquitted 
on all counts.  After denying his initial request, on 
December 14 the Court granted Covic's release pending the 
appeal, after ordering him to surrender all Bosnian and 
Croatian travel documents and post over USD 2 million in 
bail.  Covic is also required to report to the Mostar 
municipal police station once a week. 
 
d. COVIC, Husmir 
 
Charges: Human Trafficking; Associating for Criminal Purposes 
 
The indictment alleges that Covic, as a member of an 
organized crime group, participated in attempting to smuggle 
people across the BiH-Croatia border.  The main trial, which 
began in September 2006, is currently underway. 
 
e. CULINA, Ivan and CULJAK, Ivica (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charges: Money Laundering; Tax Evasion 
 
Culina and Culjak pled guilty in July 2006 and were sentenced 
to time served and fined approximately USD 4,000 each. 
 
f. DIZDAREVIC, Aziz et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
DIZDAREVIC, Aziz (DPOB: unavailable) 
HASIC, Begajet (DPOB: unavailable) 
JOVICIC, Dragutin (DPOB: unavailable) 
TURSUNOVIC, Mevludin (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charges: Trafficking in Persons (Dizdarevic, Jovicic, 
Tursunovic); Extortion (Hasic) 
 
In December 2006, the accused pled not guilty to running a 
human trafficking operation. They were accused of smuggling a 
group of 12 Chinese citizens through Sarajevo airport and 
then overland to Croatia, Italy and France in April-May 2005. 
The trial began January 9, 2007.  On February 21 the Court 
granted Dizdarevic's request for bail, deciding that his 
detention was no longer necessary to prevent him from 
influencing witnesses.  The other defendants were already at 
liberty pending the verdict. 
 
g. DUSANIC, Petar 
 
Co-Defendant: DUSANIC, Mira 
 
Charges: Tax Evasion (Petar Dusanic); Customs Fraud (Mira 
Dusanic) 
 
As the co-directors of Kompanija Dusanic, Petar and Mira 
Dusanic were indicted for evading tax and customs obligations 
under RS law by falsifying sales receipts to grossly 
underrepresented transaction costs during the period 
2002-2003.  In October 2006, the couple pled guilty.  Petar 
was sentenced to six months in prison and Mira received a 
suspended sentence of one year, with three years probation. 
The couple were ordered to pay all back taxes and customs 
duties, amounting to approximately USD 577,000. 
 
h. DUSHI, Leonard (DPOB: 27 May 1972, Shkoder, Albania) 
 
Co-Defendant: 
 
ISENI, Eljmi (DPOB: 12 November 1970, Kumanovio, Macedonia) 
 
Charges: 
 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  005 OF 009 
 
 
-- Human Trafficking (Dushi, Iseni) 
-- Organized Crime; Forgery; Aggravated Theft (Dushi) 
 
Dushi is charged with specific incidents of illegally 
trafficking persons from Albania to Italy, via Montenegro and 
Bosnia, between November 2004 and September 2005.  Iseni is 
accused of being Dushi's driver and assistant.  Dushi is also 
accused of using a forged passport to purchase an apartment 
in Sarajevo, which served as a weigh-station for victims. 
Dushi was arrested in September 2005.  On 31 October, the 
Court found Dushi guilty on all counts, and sentenced him to 
five years in prison.  Iseni was convicted of being an 
accessory to human trafficking, and given a 10-month 
suspended sentence and two years' probation.  On February 6 
the Appellate Court reduced Dushi's sentence to three years. 
 
i. FAZLIC, Asim 
 
Co-Defendant: 
 
KOBILIC, Senad 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Fraud; Attempted Blackmail 
 
Fazlic was charged with accepting bribes to tip off suspects 
while he was Deputy Director of BiH Interpol in 2003. 
Kobilic was accused of acting as intermediary.  In June 2005, 
Fazlic was acquitted and Kobilic was sentenced to one year 
imprisonment.  The prosecution and the defense appealed.  In 
December 2005, the Appellate Panel confirmed Fazlic's 
acquittal.  It also overturned Kobilic's conviction and 
ordered a partial retrial.  In November 2006, Kobilic pled 
guilty to attempted fraud and received a nine month suspended 
prison sentence, with 18 months probation.   The case is now 
concluded. 
 
j. IBRAHIMOVIC, Enver (DPOB: 29 January 1982, Novi Pazar, 
Serbia and Montenegro) 
 
Co-Defendant: 
 
DANCETOVIC, Dojcin (DPOB: 2 March 1985, Kosovska Mitrovica, 
Serbia and Montenegro) 
 
Charge: Money Laundering 
 
Dancetovic was the owner and operator of the Uspjeh-Prom 
d.o.o. Sarajevo Company.  Ibrahimovic and he are accused of 
selling goods for cash, and then falsifying sales receipts to 
grossly underrepresent transaction costs to evade tax 
obligations.  They are further accused of hiding the money 
from tax authorities by depositing it in accounts they 
created with different banks in Sarajevo.  During the 
pretrial phase, Dancetovic pled guilty in exchange for 
receiving a two year prison sentence.  The case against 
Ibrahimovic went to trial in November 2005.  In February 
2006, the Court found him guilty and sentenced him to two 
years imprisonment.  The appellate panel upheld the sentence 
in April.  Ibrahimovic has exhausted his appeals and the 
verdict is final. 
 
k. KARIC, Sedinet et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
KARIC, Sedinet 
KARIC, Senida 
JAHIC, Besim 
ZUKIC, Novalija 
ZAHIROVIC, Amira 
MALINIC, Eldar 
SLKIC, Mehmed 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Tax Evasion (Sedinet Karic, Senida Karic, Jahic, Zukic, 
Zahirovic, Malinic, Salkic) 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  006 OF 009 
 
 
-- Money Laundering (Sedinet Karic, Senida Karic, Jahic, 
Zukic, Zahirovic, Malinic) 
-- Illegal Weapons Possession (Sedinet Karic, Senida Karic) 
 
Defendants were found guilty in June 2006 of all counts in a 
textile manufacture and trading scheme and fined Sedinet and 
Sedina Karic USD 934,000.00.  The Court also sentenced 
Sedinet Karic to 2 years, Sedina Karic, Jahic, Zukic, 
Zahirovic and Malinic to 1.5 years, and Salkic to one year in 
prison.  All sentences were suspended and defendants granted 
probation.  In December an appeals panel upheld the 
Prosecutor's appeal for higher sentences, and ordered a 
retrial. 
 
l. KUCEVIC, Tasim et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
KUCEVIC, Tasim (DPOB: 16 September 1961, Zabren, Sjenica, 
Serbia and Montenegro) 
PJEVIC, Meliha (DPOB: 4 June 1976, Pasci, Tuzla, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
SPAHIC, Enver (DPOB: 1 January 1973, Barice, Zivinice, Bosnia 
and Herzegovina) 
TRBARA, Zoran (DPOB: 2 July 1969, Tuzla, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
FAZLIC, Admir (DPOB: 27 June 1964, Zagreb, Croatia) 
DULOVIC, Mirzet (DPOB: 2 December 1982, Tuzla, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
DULOVIC, Nedzad (DPOB: 25 June 1975, Barice, Zivinice, Bosnia 
and Herzegovina) 
SABIC, Almir (DPOB: 20 October 1981, Tuzla, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
MUJKIC, Mirsad (DPOB: 30 September 1968, Dugi Do, Zvornik, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
GUSINAC, Edzevit (DPOB: 19 February 1985, Tutin, Serbia and 
Montenegro) 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Organized Crime; Human Trafficking; Pandering (Kucevic, 
Pjevic, Spahic, Trbara, Fazlic, Mirzet Dulovic, Nedzad 
Dulovic, Sabic, Mujkic, Glusinac) 
-- Tax Evasion; Money Laundering (Kucevic, Pjevic) 
 
Kucevic and Pjevic are accused of running a prostitution 
operation in their jointly-owned Hotel "Mlin" in Ljubace. 
The other co-defendants were lessees, managers and staff of 
the hotel.  Kucevic and Pjevic allegedly coerced women who 
were already trafficking victims under their control to help 
recruit other women from foreign countries.  The women were 
promised asylum and/or employment in Bosnia, and then abused 
and sexually exploited once they arrived.  Kucevic and Pjevic 
are also charged with failing to pay taxes on the portion of 
income earned from operating the Hotel "Mlin" as a legitimate 
business (less than one third the amount earned illegally). 
Kucevic has been in custody since February 2006.  The other 
defendants are out on bail.  On January 29, 2007, the Court 
released Kucevic on bail, and prohibited him from engaging in 
any business activity related to his hotel business.  The 
trial, which began in June 2006, is ongoing. 
 
m. KULIC, Damir (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charge: Money Laundering 
 
In November 2006, Kulic pled guilty to laundering money 
through his firm, the Uzor Group d.o.o. Trn-Laktasi Company. 
The scheme involved selling goods for cash, and then 
falsifying sales receipts to grossly underrepresented 
transaction costs to evade tax obligations.  Kulic was 
sentenced to three years in prison, and fined approximately 
USD 60,000.  The court ruled that his time in custody (12 
months) counted towards his sentence. 
 
n. MANDIC, Momcilo et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  007 OF 009 
 
 
MANDIC, Momcilo (DPOB: 1 May 1954, Kalinovik, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
BJELICA, Milovan (DPOB: 19 October 1958, Rogatica, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
GOVEDARICA, Milorad (DPOB: 2 January 1955, Vitina Ljubuski, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
SAROVIC, Mirko (DPOB: 16 September 1956, Rogatica, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Abuse of Office or Official Authority; Associating for 
Criminal Purposes; Organized Crime (Mandic, Bjelica, 
Govedarica, Sarovic) 
-- Forgery; Providing Assistance to Persons Indicted Before 
The ICTY (Mandic) 
 
This case is related to the Sarovic case (para. 4r).  Mandic, 
former Serb Republic Minister of Justice and Director of 
Privredna Banka Srpska Sarajevo, was accused of repeatedly 
violating RS banking laws between October 1998 and August 
¶2002.  The indictment alleged that Mandic dispensed unsecured 
loans to dummy corporations set up by Bjelica and Govedarica, 
with Sarovic's help, and illegally transferred depositors' 
funds to political party accounts.  Privredna Banka went 
bankrupt as a direct result of these actions. 
 
The defendants were taken into custody at different times 
between August and December 2005.  On October 27, 2006, the 
Court sentenced Mandic to nine years in prison for abuse of 
office and forgery.  However, the Court ruled that it could 
not find him guilty of providing assistance to PIFWCs, 
because no relevant law existed in the RS during the 
time-frame being considered.  Co-defendant Govedarica was 
given four years for abuse of office.  Sarovic, a former BiH 
Tri-Presidency member and high-ranking SDS official, and 
Bjelica were acquitted.  Mandic and Govedarica were also 
ordered to pay damages to Privredna Banka totaling over KM 
4.5 million (approximately USD 3 million).  The State 
Prosecutor intends to appeal the acquittals.  In a separate 
case now getting underway, Mandic faces war crimes charges 
stemming from his actions as Justice Minister in the 
so-called Serb Republic during the war (REF. C). 
 
o. OKIC, Ferid and VASI, Fevzi (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charge: Organized Crime 
 
The accused and five others were indicted in November 2004. 
The five co-defendants concluded plea agreements during the 
course of the trial, but Okic and Vasi continued to maintain 
their innocence.  In November 2005, Okic and Vasi were found 
guilty of organized crime activities, including illicit 
narcotics trafficking, kidnapping, robbery and illegal 
possession of weapons and explosives.  Okic was initially 
sentenced to 22.3 years imprisonment, while Vasi received 2 
months.  In May 2006 the appellate panel overturned the 
verdicts and ordered a retrial.  On February 12, 2007, the 
second trial panel upheld the guilty verdict and increased 
the sentences. Okic received 24 years and Vasi's sentence was 
upped to one year in jail. 
 
p. PAPIC, Milan et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
JOVANOVIC, Milan 
JOVIC, Andelko 
MAJDOV, Dragomir 
NOVAKOVIC, Goran 
OBRENOVIC, Miljana 
PAPIC, Milan 
SARIC, Dragan 
SIMIC, Davor 
 
Charges: Organized Crime; Forgery; Tax Evasion 
 
The indictment alleges, inter alia, that between September 
2005 and March 2006 Papic ran a illegal coffee import 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  008 OF 009 
 
 
operation.  Acting as executive director of the firm Red Star 
d.o.o. Bileca and Pami Trade d.o.o. Niksic, Montenegro, Papic 
concluded a contract with "STR INC" Inman-SC-USA to import 
raw coffee.  Saric allegedly transported the coffee by truck 
from a port in Slovenia.  Novakovic, Obrenovic, Jovic and 
Simic were State Customs officers who, on various occasions, 
registered the truck as empty when it crossed the border. 
State Border Service officer Majdov was also involved in the 
scheme.  Jovanovic, another State Customs official, is 
accused of destroying documents in order to help Papic avoid 
paying proper import duties.  The indictment was confirmed in 
September 2006, and the trial began in November 2006. 
 
q. POLJO, Zijad et al 
 
Defendants: 
 
POLJO, Zijad (DPOB: 3 January 1966, Rajevo Selo, Croatia) 
CATO, Halil (aka Dilas; DPOB: 22 March 1951, Vinkovci, 
Croatia) 
SABANOVIC, Zemina (aka Minka; DPOB: 23 August 1960, Gunja, 
Croatia) 
MAGLIC, Samir (DPOB: 28 December 1973, Travnik, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
HABIBOVIC, Alen (DPOB: 6 May 1976, Kladanj, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina) 
VASIC, Bogdan (DPOB: 19 October 1963, Belgrade, Serbia and 
Montenegro) 
KALENDER, Dragoljub (DPOB: 17 August 1956, Sovijak, Bosanska 
Gradiska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) 
Legal Entities: Poljo Oil; Fenkis Komerc; Delta; Alfa RS; 
Interspeed; Trade Komerc 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Money Laundering; Associating for Criminal Purposes 
(Sabanovic, Maglic, Habibovic, Vasic, Kalendar, Poljo, Cato) 
-- Tax Evasion (Poljo, Cato) 
 
According to the indictment, Poljo and his co-defendants 
undertook a criminal conspiracy to avoid tax obligations by 
manipulating petrol and petrol product sales transactions. 
Between January and October 2003, Poljo and the others 
allegedly produced invoices falsely documenting Poljo Oil 
sales to several dummy companies.  At the same time, the 
defendants also sold petrol and petrol products for cash to 
legitimate businesses, and later doctored the receipts to 
underreport their profit margin.  In June 2006, Vasic and 
Sabanovic negotiated plea agreements with the Prosecutor's 
Office.  Vasic received a six and one-half year sentence for 
money laundering and associating for criminal purposes. 
Sabanovic received six months in jail for money laundering 
and was fined 20,000 KM (approximately USD 15,000 for 
associating for criminal purposes.  The trial of Poljo and 
the remaining co-defendants has been underway since March 
¶2006. 
 
r. SAROVIC, Mirko (DPOB: 16 September 1956, Rogatica, Bosnia 
and Herzegovina) 
 
Co-defendant: DESPOTOVIC, Milan (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charges: Incitement to Perjury (Sarovic); Perjury (Despotovic) 
 
The indictment alleges that Sarovic, while in custody in 
Doboj District Prison, instructed Doboj District Prison guard 
Despotovic to conceal evidence and give false statements to 
court related to the Mandic case (para. 4n).  The case is in 
pre-trial. 
 
s. SUBASIC, Admir 
 
Co-Defendant 
 
Memsudin Cengic 
 
Charges: Human Trafficking; Associating for Criminal Purposes 
 
According to the indictment the accused attempted to smuggle 
 
SARAJEVO 00000500  009 OF 009 
 
 
four people from Montenegro to Western Europe, through 
Bosnia, in October 2005.  The indictment was confirmed in 
July 2006, and the men accepted a plea bargain in September. 
Subasic received a 14-month suspended sentence, and Cengic 
was sent to prison for nine months. 
 
t. TANOVIC, Jovo, DRAGOLJUB, Serif and TEROVIC, Haris (DPOB: 
unavailable) 
 
Charges: Trafficking in Persons, Associating for Criminal 
Purposes 
 
The accused pled guilty in August 2006.  Tanovic received a 
three year suspended sentence, with five years' probation. 
Terovic and Dragoljub each received 8-month suspended 
sentences with three years' probation. 
 
u. TASOVAC, Zeljko et al 
 
Defendants 
 
ATELJEVIC, Miodrag 
POPOVAC, Slobodan 
RADIC, Drazen 
SARABA, Nikola 
TASOVIC, Nada 
TASOVAC, Zeljko 
VUKOJE, Nebojsa 
 
Charges: 
 
-- Attempted Murder, Organized Crime, Illegal Weapons 
Possession, Obstruction of Justice (Aletjevic, Popovac, 
Radic, Saraba, Tasovic, Tasovac, Vukoje) 
-- Assault (Vukoje) 
 
The indictment, confirmed in September 2006, alleges that 
Tasovac led an organized crime group, in which his 
co-defendants were members.  The group is accused of 
attempting to  plant an explosive device in front of the 
house of a potential witness in criminal proceedings against 
Tasovac.  Popovac and Nada Tasovac are also accused of paying 
an unidentified person to intimidate another witness.  The 
trial began in January 2007. 
 
v. TUZLAK, Kenan and Mehmed (DPOB: unavailable) 
 
Charges: Money Laundering 
 
Mehmed Tuzlak and his son Kenan were indicted in April 2006 
and pled guilty in June to registering a dummy company "Codex 
Line" in Zenica through which to launder money.  Mehmed 
Tuzlak was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Kenan Tuzlak 
received a eight month suspended sentence, with three years' 
probation. 
MCELHANEY